Forum Messages

I've two 1972 96's, an early one with a stabilzer bar and the other (a late model) without. This is correct according to the workshop manual. Does anyone know why it was deleted, and are there any other changes? I'm looking to interchange parts to get the best car.

22/02/2006 15:16:07

john

Mike I am presuming you are referring to an anti roll bar?, the relative handling merits of a 96 with and without have been discussed extensively in the past if you try searching past threads, If I remember rightly I think it was largely down to personal preference.

22/02/2006 20:52:38

John Wood (Woody)

For the 1972 model year, 96 & 95 V4s were equipped with a new front spring, apparently stiffer than previously. Part way through production the stabiliser or anti-roll arm was deleted. Cars from 96722013536 and 96722004645 did not have this bar.

22/02/2006 22:02:54

Mike W

Thanks john, found the item at 22/9/2005 from Mark. As you say it's all down to preference (and its saves renewing the ARB bushes). Thanks also to Woody but my manual shows '72 certain export markets 14.1in. brown and '72 to '75 15in. yellow. Is the UK "certain export markets"?

23/02/2006 17:17:02

Danny

more likely it was cheaper not to fit one, same as the plastic grills are cheaper than the crome ones!~

23/02/2006 19:55:11

John Wood (Woody)

Apologies- the second series of numbers should be 95722004646.Yes Mike the manual does say that, but I don't know which markets either. Have yet to see a road spring with the brown flick of paint on it. The Rally progressive rear springs have a part no stamped into them but the fronts do not. The parts book indicates that Finland and other countries had a different spring 1972. Whether these had the brown flick is open to debate.

02/03/2006 23:12:06

Alistair

Nowadays you'd be pushed to find a spring with ANY paint still visible, aren't they mostly all covered in rust ?! ;-)

03/03/2006 00:11:54

John Wood (Woody)

Apart from the set of unused Works springs sat on my top shelf in the garage!!If it's any help you will observe my project car has the stabiliser and works rally suspension. My old rally car was the same, though during the last year of its use I removed the stabiliser, as the lack of it tended to keep the wheels down on the ground. I did not have a LSD and needed to keep as much traction as possible. I do recollect the car was easier to put off balance, sometimes without too much prompting. Less forgiving might be a fair comment. In Mike's case the easy answer would be to compare the springs, even disconnect the stabiliser and test the feel of the suspension. The one thing about standard V4's, I have never liked is they way the front suspension settles.